Lutz pulled into the parking lot. They had finally arrived at the police department and, according to Henry, had clearance to interview Leon Stanley. From the conversation Henry had with Lieutenant Adams, they were sick and tired of dealing with him, anyway, and were happy to give somebody else a chance at him.
Lutz led the way to the building while Frank texted Henry and asked exactly where they were. The response was that Henry and Shawn were headed their way.
By the time they entered and signed in, Henry called out from the hallway.
“This way, guys. The jail wing is downstairs, and the guard already has Stanley linked up in their interrogation room.” Henry tipped his head at Hanna. “You’ll have to stay in the waiting area. Sorry, but only law enforcement and attorneys can go beyond the visitation area.”
She nodded. “That’s okay. I’ll probably go out in a bit and take Bandit for a walk.”
Lutz handed his keys to her. “Then you’ll need these, and don’t go beyond the immediate area.”
She smiled. “Yes, Dad.”
Lutz and Frank continued down the hallway with Henry and Shawn.
“Down here on the lower level,” Shawn said.
The jail cells were typically on the lower level at most police departments that housed them at their station. That way, the offenders could be transferred right from the police car into the building through the secured garage.
Henry introduced Lutz and Frank to the guard on duty, who walked them back to the interrogation room.
“He’s a roid-raged monster, so keep your distance. Good luck.”
They would finally meet Leon Stanley face-to-face, and Lutz had already turned a deep shade of red.
Shawn shook his head. “Boss, I can physically see your blood pressure rising. Take a few calming breaths before we walk in. You don’t want to give him an edge, plus you have to maintain composure if you want to get anything out of him. Piss him off too much and he’ll clam up.”
“And lawyer up,” Frank added.
Lutz blew out the breath he seemed to be holding in. “You’re right. Give me a second. Better yet, let’s get eyes on him so we know what we’re dealing with.”
They entered the observation room and saw a giant of a man sitting at the steel table facing them.
“Holy shit.” Frank looked from his own biceps to Leon’s. “Hanna wasn’t kidding when she said Jesse told her he was huge. His arms are like tree branches, and look at those tats—prison ink if I’ve ever seen it.”
Leon’s stringy blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, he wore ear gauges, and his fingers were as thick as hot dogs.
Lutz jerked his chin at the window. “Can you imagine those fingers around your throat?”
“No, but Jesse could.” Henry gave Lutz a glance. “You sure you want to take him on?”
“Damn straight I do as long as that table pipe holds his cuffs. Let’s see what he has to say, and I’ll do the talking.”
The commander and his three detectives walked into the room. Leon laughed loudly as if that amused him.
“Damn it. You guys are an insult to law enforcement. It takes four of you to talk to me? You sure you aren’t wetting your pants right now?”
Lutz took a seat across from him. “Brawn has nothing to do with brains. You’re stupider than a box of rocks if you think you’re ever going to see freedom again. You beat your wife and left her to die—which she did. That’s murder one in my playbook. And then you had the gall to kidnap my detective because your wife interrupted you when your hands were around his throat. So did you finish him off, or did your accomplice? Where’s his body, or are you holding him somewhere?”
“Dude, I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You on something?”
Lutz slammed his hand on the table, making a loud crack.
Leon laughed again. “Hell, if I did that, the table would have a permanent dent in it, but I’d use my fist like a real man would.” He looked Frank up and down. “What’s your story? Spend time in the pen, too, as big as you are?”
Frank remained quiet.
Lutz snapped his fingers in Leon’s face. “Hey, pay attention. I asked you where my detective was.”
Leon shrugged. “Last time I saw him, he was tapping out.” Frank clenched his fists, and Leon noticed. “Getting to you, am I? Bet you’d like to kick my ass, wouldn’t you, tough guy?” He sneered at Frank. “Bring it. You’d be tapping out in seconds too.”
“Pete give you a hand? Where’d he put the red Explorer and my detective?”
“Pete? Now that’s funny. I don’t need my brother’s help.”
Lutz pressed on. “Then who helped you?”
“Like I said, I’ve got no idea what you’re talking about, man.”
“I have a lot of connections in the prison system. You look like the type of guy who would enjoy spending life at Florence, the most dangerous prison in America. Then of course, I’d make sure you were in gen pop. You’d be shanked upon arrival or soon after. People are crazy there and love to start shit with other inmates. You think you’re big? Try some of those guys on for size. You’d be their bitch in no time.”
“Whatever. I’m not afraid of anyone.”
“Good to know. I’ll make sure that’s the place you call home, then. I’m sure you’ll fit right in. That’s if you live through it.”
Lutz pushed back his chair and walked out followed by Frank, Henry, and Shawn.
“Now what?” Frank asked. “That piece of shit was really pushing my buttons.”
“That was his plan. He’s not going to talk to us, and we can’t beat the information out of him.”
Frank growled. “But I’d sure like to try.”
“Come on. We’ve got to find out who rented that Corolla.”
They returned to the parking lot just as Hanna and Bandit got to the car.
Hanna gave the keys to Lutz. “We’re set to go whenever you guys are. Bandit’s good.”
The commander leaned against his car. “I need to touch base with Tony first. Give me five minutes, and then we’ll decide what the next step should be.” After setting the phone on the hood of his car and tapping Tony’s number, Lutz pressed Speakerphone and waited.
“Hey, Boss, what’s the word?”
“Leon Stanley isn’t talking. Have you reached the last five guys named Mike Stiller?”
“Yep. All dead ends.”
“Okay, I want you to call the rental agency’s toll-free number again and find out exactly what location that car was picked up at. Since the man’s name and address were phony, we’ll need the exact location and time he picked up the car. Hopefully, there are cameras situated at each counter. Make sure you ask if they track their cars too.”
“Got it. I’ll call you back as soon as I get that information.”
“We’re going to hang out here overnight. If the rental agency is in this area, we’ll be hitting it first thing in the morning since there’s a chance the car was rented by Leon’s brother, Pete, who seems to be just as sketchy as Leon is. Henry and Shawn didn’t find anyone they’d consider friends of either brother.”
After checking into a hotel that allowed dogs, the group sat in the lounge and discussed the next steps to take.
“If the car was rented here in Decatur, we’ll likely have the accomplice’s face and identity by tomorrow morning,” Lutz said.
Frank waved to get the server’s attention. “Can you get all of us a round of drinks and several platters of appetizers?”
“Certainly, sir. Shall we start with the lady?”
Hanna nodded. “Thanks, I’ll have a gin and tonic.”
The waitress went around the table and wrote down all the drink requests before placing the orders for buffalo wings, quesadillas, wontons, and onion rings.
Shawn waited until she walked away before talking. “And what if the car was rented somewhere else?”
“Then we’ll go there and see if they have anything we can use. I’m not sure how rental agencies track their cars. I doubt if the tracking is ongoing since that infringes on people’s privacy, so maybe they’re only tracked if they aren’t returned when they’re supposed to be. If that’s the case, then the car will show up in Giant City—no help to us. It’s a wait-and-see situation unless Jesse or Hanna’s phones suddenly get turned on.”
Frank huffed. “If only.”
The waitress carried out a platter of drinks and said the food was on its way.
Lutz slid the gin and tonic across the table to Hanna and noticed her somber expression. “Hanna, I know how difficult this is, but we’re doing the best we can with what we have to work with. Jesse’s a tough guy, and if there’s any way to stay alive, you can be sure he’s doing it.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. “But nothing is happening.”
“And nothing happens much of the time, until it does. That’s when things move quickly. It’s called investigating, and that’s what cops do. We all wish we could snap our fingers and the missing person magically reappears, but that isn’t how real life works. We check everything there is to check, make calls, follow leads, interview people, air faces and descriptions on the news, man tip lines, and wait for something to pop. What we do behind the scenes isn’t something a regular citizen normally sees, but you happen to be here with us, so you do.” He covered her hand with his own. “Rest assured, if Jesse is alive, we’re going to find him and bring his abductor to justice.”
She wiped her eyes and, after Frank gave her his handkerchief, whispered a thank-you. “I’m sorry, and I don’t mean to be a distraction, but I don’t know how cops do what they do. It seems like a slow process.”
Henry took over. “It is a slow process, but usually, the good guys win in the end.”